Uncharted Secrets

Here’s a little something about each of the Uncharted books I’ve never told *anyone.

The Land Uncharted 
My fifth great-grandmother, Margaret Polk (a cousin of President James K. Polk), inspired Lydia’s character. Margaret was a physician, and I read in an Indiana history book that when she was called upon to help the ill or injured, she would ride her horse through mud at night to get to a patient and always beat the messenger back. The first line of the first draft of The Land Uncharted was borrowed from that description of my ancestor.

Uncharted Redemption
When I first began writing Levi and Mandy’s story, I did NOT like Levi. He was petulant and quiet—my least favorite kind of man to be around, let alone to write. I almost called off the project, but after a dream that became Chapter Eleven, I had to finish the story. Levi ended up being one of my favorite heroes of all time. 

Uncharted Inheritance
I cheered for Justin Mercer even as I wrote against him. I also freaked out my husband once when we were first married with this tendency; we saw Star Wars III, and I sided with Darth Vader. Granted, Mercer is no Darth, but I get emails from readers detailing their qualms with Mercer.

 

Christmas with the Colburns began as a full-length novel where Connor had to go to the mountains because of… well, a bunch of drama. I hated that storyline so much I nixed all of Connor’s scenes and only kept Lydia’s. I guess it was meant to be Lydia’s Christmas story all long.

Uncharted Hope (coming soon!)
I used an open plotting process to write this story so I could completely explore every possibility of where the Uncharted series should go next. I took way too long to write it, but Uncharted Hope will be released this fall.  I LOVE where the story is headed. (Cue the suspense music.)


*Someone somewhere probably knows, as I’m chatty about my stories.